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THE LOSANGELES KRSNA CONSCIOUS 0 0 0 COMMUNITY Five thousand years ago on an ancient battlefield in India, Lord Kf!?Qa spoke the words of Bhagavad gita to His friend and disciple Arjuna. That holy discourse, spoken in a mere thirty minutes, can awaken and refine our eternal consciousness.
"This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed." - Bhagavad-gitii, 9.2 lllagavall·llla Is Ills His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada A necessity for anyone truly serious about yoga, self-realization or spiritual fulfillment, Bhagavad gfta As It Is presents and explains the Gita 's verses without changing their timeless meaning. This complete edition includes the original Sanskrit verses, easily pronouncable Roman transliter ations, word-for-word synonyms, transla- tions and elaborate purports. Pure kn.owl- edge, purely transmitted. Forty-four full- color pictures, painted especially for this book. I ,000 pages. Hardcover, $10.95; paperback, $4.95. Available from ISKCON Mailorder, 3959 Landmark, Culver City, Calif. 90230. (Use the convenient order card supplied in this magazine).
CONTENTS
The Matchless Gift: Liberation in Krg1a Consciousness 3 FOUNDER (unqer the direction of His Divine Grace by His Divine Grace A .C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Sri Siimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupi!da) His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhuplida Living in the Material World: Carbon 14 Goes Out of Date 9 EDITOR Satsvariipa dasa Gosvami BHAKTIVEDANTA BOOK TRUST COORDINATOR Vrndavana, The Highest Paradise 12 Bali Mardan dasa Gosvami by O.B.L. Kapoor, Ph. D. ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jayadvaita dasa SANSKRIT EOITOR The Bhakti Viewpoint: Jagannatha dasa K!1{1a Consciousness in the University 14 PRODUCTION MANAGER Radhlivallabha dasa The los Angeles K!1{1a Conscious Community: ARTDIRECroR 18 Indrapramada dasa The Perfection of Renunciation by Karuoasindhu dasa and Muralivadana dasa ASSISTANT ART I)IREcmR Navadvipa dasa II.LUSTRATORS ON THE COVER Muralidhara dasa, Yadurli(IK!evi dasi, Parik~it dlisa, Bharadraja dasa Devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness at the Society's temple in Los PHOTOGRAPHERS Angeles, California. Bhargava diisa, Muralivlidana dlisa, Viliisa-vigraha diisa, Yaduvara dlisa, PRONUNCIATION OF SANSKRIT WORDS Visakha-devi dasl Sanskrit words and names in Back to Godhead are spelled according to a system PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNICIANS accepted by scholars throughout the world which indicates the exact pronuncia Gariylin dasa, Madhusiidana dasa, tion of each word. Vowels in Sanskrit are pronounced almost as in ltal.ian. The Gadagraja dasa , Cakradhara diisa sound of the short a is like the u in but, the long ii is like the a in far and held twice as long as the short a. and e is like the a in evade. Long i is like the i in pique. The PROOFREADERS vowel r is pronounced like the re in the E(lglish word fibre. The c is pronounced Harike~a dlisa, Santo$a dasa, as in the English word chair, and the aspirated consonants (ch. jh. dh. etc.) are pro Gopiparli(ladhana dasa, Dravi(la dasa nounced as in staunch-heart, hedge-hog, red-hot, etc. The two aspirants t and~ are pronounced like the English sh; s is pronounced as in sun. Thus ~va is pro TYPE COMPOSERS nounced KRISHNA, Caitanya is pronounced CHAJT ANY A, etc. Ragatmik3-devi dlisi, Nara-devl dlisi. XIOH;o>Vt.l..oflooof AMIVOot.,t.l luoio...., U iot Dul)khahantri-devi dlisi, Baliii"devi dlisi __ INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS x- Ufll\oef-'fJMicroMM ._ Published monthly, S6.00 per year ($7.00 outside USA), by the ...... MEMBERSHIP U"'"""rllllc:tOIIIM~ ·-~ Bhaktivedanta BookTrust ,3764 Watseka Ave.,Los Angeles, Calif...... fw'-'•0..."'~ 90034. Editorial Officos:38Tiffany Place, Brooklyn,N.Y.II231 For information on how you can become a registered member of the International FUASE wq,fE FOR Back to Godhead No.6201974Bhaktivedanta BookTru st Society for Krishna Consciousness, please write to the Society's secretary at 3764 ()Ot.lfi'l£TE H"OAMATJON All rights reserved. Printed in USA. Watseka Avenue. Los Angeles, California. 90034. - •
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The goldsmith uses a small hammer and taps the gold many times, but the blacksmith uses a large hammer, and with one stroke his job is finished. This is the blacksmith's method; we take the big hammer of bhakti-yoga and finish all material life. There is no need to undergo the many lesser disciplines, nor to follow any other process. In actuality, there is no possibility of put an end to material life by one stroke even following the other Vedic pro kevalaya). There is no need to first cesses to perfection. For instance, the tlnc•.. rorn severe penance and austerity, ha~ha-yoga process would say: "You celibacy, control the mind and have to become strictly celibate and charity, perform great sit in the forest wtth your body at a very truthful right angle to the ground, pressing by one stroke-by your nose with your finger for six months." Who could follow such an instruction? Since such a method is practical in this present age, the """"" ~-- ~Iasmttn's method has to be dis-
Photo: Bhargave das& Back to Godhead 3 carded. The solution is to take the blacksmith's hammer of Kn;J:la con sciousness and finish off all sinful reactions immediately, By devotional service one has to become vasudeva-pm:ayarza, a devotee of Lord Vasudeva, or Lord Kr~J)a. In other words, we have to learn how to become lovers of Vasudeva. lf the world takes up this Kr~tla conscious ness, the planet is certain to be peace ful. Now the earth is quickly becoming a hellish planet, and if this Kn;IJ.a consciousness is not taken up, this hellish condition will progress despite all advances in education and econom ic development. Therefore those who are thoughtful should take this move ment very seriously and try to under stand its value. lt is not something manufactured by one man or a group of disciples. lt is authoritative and age old, based on the Vedic literatures that date back thousands of years. Niharam iva bhaskara[1. Bhaskara re fers to the sun. The sun immediately dissipates mist or fog as well as dark ness. We should therefore try to make the sun of Kr~l)a rise within our hearts. In the Caitanya-caritamrta also it is sense gratification, fore, 0 son of Kunti, perform your stated that K{~l)a is like the sun and There is always a hard struggle going prescribed duties for His satisfaction, that miiyi:i, the illusory energy, is on involving man's attempt to dom and in that way you will always re darkness. Yahaiz kr~rza, tahaiz nahi inate material nature. However, for main unattached and free from bond mayara adhikara: as soon as the sun every convenience he manages to pro age." (Bg. 3.9) of KJ;$1J.a is present, the darkness of duce, there is an inconvenience ac When one acts for sense gratifica maya immediately disappears. With companying it. For example, recently tion, work entangles him, whether the out following this process, it is very some engineers designed an airplane work be good or bad, but if one works difficult to overcome the ocean of that can fly at great speeds without for Kr~l)a ( yajnarthiit karmm:a(1), he darkness, maya. But if we simply teach danger. When the plane flies, however, will be free, regardless of the possible people to surrender unto KJ;$1J.a, God, it breaks windows all over the city. Our undesirability of his work. all the fog and mist of illusion will time is thus being wasted in construct disappear. The method is very simple: ing so many devices to give us tempo ot only does Sukadeva chant Hare Kr$1J.a, Hare Kr~1~a, Kn!J.a rary and artificial convenience at the Gosvami recommend unal Kr~IJ. a, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare price of a proportionate amount of ill loyed devotional service, but Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. convenience. This is all part of the law N he further says that by devo The more one goes on chanting, the of karma, the law of action and reac tional service one's sinful activities will more the darkness of many lives is dis tion. For whatever we do, there must be negated. Every one of us is more or sipated. Ceto-darpal(la-marjanam: by be a reaction by which we become en less sinful, for if we were not sinful we chanting, one can cleanse the dust tangled. That is stated in Bhagavad-g'i'ta: would not have been put into material from the mirror of his mind and per bodies. As soon as one is free from ceive things very distinctly. Thus one yajniirthat karmarzo 'nyatra sinful life, he is liberated and trans will know what he is, what God is, loko 'yam karma-bandhanab ferred to the spiritual world in a what this w01·ld is, what our relation ta.d-artham karma kaunteya spiritual body. The whole process is to ship with God in this world is, how to mukta-sanga/1 samacara cleanse oneself from the contamination live in this world, and what our next of sinful or material life. life is. Such knowledge is not taught in "Work done as a sacrifice for Vi$l)U Sukadeva Gosvami said, "My dear schools, where one is taught how to has to be performed, otherwise work king, those who are sinful can be manufacture or acquire products for binds one to this material world. There- come purified from contamination by
4 Back to Godhead ., ::r 0 ~
s:c: iil philosophy of l<.f~Qa conscious the Supreme Lord, are both spmt, ~ ~ ness maintains that this world they are qualitatively one. Quanti ~ is not false but that it is tern tatively, however, the Lord is great ~ porary. God created this world, and the living entities are small. This and He is true, so how can His fact can be accepted immediately on creation be false? Because this the basis of Vedic information. In is the creation of God, and God Brahma-samhitii it is stated, yasyaika is the Absolute Truth, this cre rzisvasita-kalam athavalambya jlvanti ation is also true. We simply loma-vilaja jagad-arzfla-nathab: many see it otherwise due to illusion. millions of universes come out of The world is a fact, but it is a God's body when He exhales, and temporary fact. they again disappear when He inhales. A person may claim some Simply by His breathing, millions of thing within this world to be his universes are created and dissolved. If property, but that is a false this is the case, then how can the living claim. It is a fact that it is some entities claim proprietorship over any one's property, b ut it is God's thing? One's position is safe only inso property (isaviisyam idarh sar far as he does not falsely declare him vam). This does not mean, self God or proprietor. It has become however, that the property is fashionable to claim to be God, and false. What is false is the claim fools accept such claims, but from the to the property, which is based Vedic literatures we understand that upon a puffed-up false con God is not so cheap. sciousness that the individual is the proprietor, the master, long as we are not mak or God. Everyone desires to mg puffed-up ego-centered be master or proprietor of claims, we are already liber something, then minister, then A ated. There is actually no president,and then God. When need to seek liberation. But as long as tapa-iidibhib, practicing austerity." everything else fails, the living entity one thinks, "I am this body," he is not Sukadeva also said, however, that no wants to become God. The tendency liberated. Liberation means knowing one can become completely purified is there to want to become the great perfectly well that one's self is separate by executing this process of austerity. est of all, but the fact remains that from the body. Therefore Sukadeva There are many examples of yogis who God is the greatest and the living enti Gosvaml said, prayascittarh vimarsa practiced austerities but did not emerge ty is small com pared to Him. The nam: "Develop your knowledge; that completely pure. Visva.mitra Muni, for smallest is not false, and the greatest is will give you relief." Our knowledge is example, was a k~atriya who wanted not false, but when the small thinks perfect when we come to know that to become a brahmara and therefore that he is great, that is false. we are very small particles of spiritual began to practice austerity. Later on, We understand from Vedic literature sparks, and that God, the Supreme, however, he became a victim of that Brahman, or the spirit, is arzor the greatest spiritual identity, supplies Menaka, a society girl of the heavenly a11iyiimsam, smaller than an atom, and aJI our necessities ( eko bahiinam yo planets. Because Visvamitra was not mahato mahiyarhsam, greater than the vidadhati kamiin}. By knowing our pure, he became entangled with her and greatest. As far as we can conceive, selves as minute particles, part and begot a child. Therefore it is said that the space that contains the universe is parcel of God, we can understand that even if one performs austerities and the greatest, but Kr~Qa has shown our duty is to serve God. God is the penances, worldly circumstances are so millions of universes in His mouth. The center of all creation, of the whole uni implicating that somehow or other greatness of God cannot be compre versal body; He is the enjoyer, and we they will involve one again and again hended by the living entities, who are arc His servitors. As this conception in the material modes of nature. There part and parcel of God. As living enti becomes clear, we become liberated. are many examples of sannyiisis who ties, we are very minute, infinitesimal, Liberation entails freedom from all give up the world, renouncing it as and God is infinite. Indeed, the mag false conceptions. It is not that upon false, saying, "Let me turn to Brahman nitude of the individual spirit soul is liberation one acquires ten hands. In [spiritJ" but they again become en so microscopic that it cannot be seen. Srlmad-Bhagavatam liberation (mukti) tangled in the work of the world when One cannot even imagine it with his is defined as hitvanyatha rupam. Hi tva they set up hospitals and perform material senses. Therefore it is said means "giving up," and anyatha philanthropic work and welfare activi that the spirit soul is smaller th:m an riipam denotes a f;~lse conception ties. If the world is fa lse, why are they atom ( a!10r ariyarhsam}. of life. This is to say that when one is attracted to welfare activities? The Since the living entities and Kr$l)a, situated in his original constitutional
Back to Godhead 5 position, having given up all false no knows that his father is there. He Supreme Lord, the Lord reveals Him tions, he is liberated. It is also said in thinks, "My father is standing by me, self within the heart. The program of Srimad-Bhagavatam that by the acquisi so I am free. No one can harm me." devotional service to the Lord is exe tion of knowledge, one becomes liber Similarly, when one surrenders to cuted from morning to night. Indeed, ated immediately. That knowledge can Kr$I)a, he has complete faith that he is Kr?va says in Bhagavad-gita that one be very easily acquired, for it is simple: not in danger because Kr~lJ.a is protect must engage in devotional service to God is great, and I am very small; He ing him. One who is thus surrendered Him twenty-four hours a day. It is not is the supreme proprietor supplying all to Kr$lJ.a is not subject to lamentation that we should meditate for fifteen necessities, and I am His servant. Who or desire, whereas one who is not God minutes and then engage in all kinds of can challenge this? It is a fact. We are conscious simply hankers and laments. nonsense. The more we serve, the simply under the false impression that He hankers for that which he does not more dedicated to Kr$lJ.a we become; we are this or that, and this leads us to possess, and he laments for that which therefore a person should utilize what the ultimate false impression that we he did possess but has lost. A God ever talents he has for Kr$I)a. There are are God. Yet we do not consider what conscious person is not subject to such nine process of devotional service manner of God we are. A small bodily misery. If something is lost, he knows hearing, chanting, remembering, serv disorder will send us to the physician. that it is God's wish, and he thinks, ing, worshiping the Deity in the temple, One who claims to be the Supreme, "God desired this, so it is all right." He praying, carrying out orders, serving therefore, should be understood to does not desire anything, for he knows the Lord as friend, and sacrificing have fallen to the last snare of maya. that all his necessities are being pro everything for Him- and one should One who is thus fallen cannot even be vided by Kr$lJ.a, the supreme father. always keep engaged in at least one of liberated, for he is bound by false oon as one understands his these nine processes. One who is always impressions. relationship to God, he real engaged in Kt$IJa's service never be Only when one has attained proper izes universal brotherhood, comes disgusted (bhajatam priti-piir knowledge can he actually be liberated. A for he understands that all vakam). Service must be rendered with The stage of liberation is also called men and animals- indeed, all life itself love, but in the beginning this may be the brahma-bhuta stage, or the stage -are all parts of the supreme whole difficult, and so one may become dis of spiritual realization. One who has and are therefore all equal. Seeing gusted. As one makes progress in attained this stage is characterized by this, one does not envy, exploit or Kr$IJa's service, however, he will find Sri Kr$lJ.a in Bhagavad-gita in this way: trouble another living entity. Thus a it pleasing. This is indicated by Kr$l)a devotee of Kr$lJ.a automatically de in Bhagavad-gita: brahma-bhutafi prasannatma velops all good qualities, for he is in na socati na kank~ati the proper consciousness. Harav abhak yat tad agre vi~am iva samafi sarve~u bhu~efU. tasya kuto mahad-gurui mano-rathena parirame 'mrtopamam mad-bhaktirh labhate param sati dhavato bahifi. One who has de tat sukharh sattvikarh proktam atma-buddhi-prasada-jam "One who is thus transcendentally veloped Kr$I)a consciousness will mani situated at once realizes the Supreme fest all the good qualities of the demi "That which in the beginning may be Brahman [spirit] . He never laments nor gods. Indeed, it is stated, Vaiicha-kalpa just like poison, but at the end is like desires to have anything; he is equally tarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca: a nectar, and which awakens one to self disposed to every living entity. In that Vai$I)ava, or devotee of Kr$I)a, is an realization, is said to be happiness in state he attains pure devotional service ocean of mercy to others. He gives the the mode of goodness." (Bg. 18.37) unto Me." (Bg. 18.54) greatest gift to society, for society is Once one has attained the spiritual The joy that follows realization arises in dire need of God consciousness. A platform, it is material service that from understanding, " I was illusioned Vaig1ava bestows the priceless gift of actually becomes disgusting. For by false notions for so long. What a the maha-mantra, Hare Knl)a, Hare example, if one chants Hare Kr$Q.a fool I was! I was thinking that I was Kr$I)a, Kr$I)a Kr$I)a, Hare Hare/ Hare throughout his life, he will not grow God, but now I can understand that I Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare tired of the names, but if one chants a am God's eternal servant." Upon gain Hare. Simply by chanting this mantra, material name over and over, he will ing such realization, one attains libera one can remain in a liberated state. soon become disgusted. The more one tion and becomes prasannatrna, or One should not think, however, chants the names of Kr$Q.a, the more he jolly, for this is the constitutional that this state is simply a state of becomes attached. Thus service by position of the living entity. trance whereby one remains seated in sravaram and kirtanam, hearing and here is no lamentation when lotus position in a corner for days on chanting about Kr~pa, is the beginning. one is in pure consciousness, end. No, liberation means serving. One The next process is smararam-always for he knows that he is a cannot simply say, "Now I have dedi remembering Kr$l)a. When one is per small part, a spiritual spark cated my life to Kr$I)a. Let me remain fect in chanting and hearing, he will T seated in trance." The standard of always remember Kr$l)a. In this third protected by the Supreme Lord. Where then is the scope for lamentation? A surrender must be maintained ni~evayii, stage, he becomes the greatest yogi. small child feels free as long as he by serving. As one serves the Nor is progress in Kr$IJa conscious-
6 Back to Godhead ness ever lost. In the material world, if man-mana bhava mad-bhakto for us to forget Kni].a for a moment. one begins to construct a factory but mad-yiijl mam namas-kuru In this way, by engaging in the service does not complete it, the factory is miim evaifyasi satyam te of Kr?IJ.a, we will therefore always live useless for all intents and purposes. If pratijiine priyo 'si me in Vaikut;~tha or Vtndavana, the abode the construction is stopped and the of Kt~IJ.a . building half finished, whatever money "Always think of Me and become My At present, because of our polluted is invested is lost. This is not the case devotee. Worship Me and offer your consciousness, we are turning the with Kn>I].a consciousness, for even if homage unto Me. Thus you will come world into a materialistic and hellish one does not come to the perfectional to Me without fail. I promise you this place, and because we are ignorant of point, whatever work he does is his because you are my very dear friend." our constitutional position, we have permanent asset, and he can begin (Bg. 18.65) created innumerable problems, just as from that point in his next life. Kr~I].a When we think of coming to Kr?I].a, in dreams we create so many problems. also confirms in Bhagavad-gita that one we should not think that we will be But in actuality there are no problems. begins Kr~IJ.a consciousness cannot lose standing before a void or an impersonal I may dream that I am in a great storm, anything: bright light. Kr~t;~a, God, is a person, or that I am being pursued, or that nehabhikrama-naso 'sti just as we are persons. Materially we someone is taking my money, or that pratyaviiyo na vidyate can understand that our father is a I am being devoured by a tiger, but svalpam apy asya dharmasya person, and that his father is also a actually these are all creations of my trayate mahato bhayat person, and that his father's father is mind. Asaizgo hy ayam purufa iti a person and so on back to the supreme ST"ute[l. The Vedas say that the purufa "In this endeavor there is no loss or father, who must also be a person. (the iitma, or the soul) has no connec diminution, and a little advancement This is not very difficult to understand, tion with all its dreamlike material on this path can protect one from the and it is noteworthy that God is called activities. Therefore we must engage most dangerous type of fear." (Bg. the supreme father not only in the in this Kr~t;~a consciousness process to 2.40) Vedas but in the Bible, Koran, and awaken from this dreaming condition. In the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad other scriptures. The Vedanta-sutra also Above all the fruitive laborers, gita, when Arjuna asks about the fate confirms that the Absolute Truth is speculators and mystic yogis are the of the unsuccessful yogi, Sri Kr;~l}a the original father from whom every bhaktas, or devotees ofKrsna. A bhakta replied: thing has taken birth or emanated. can be perfectly peacefui: ~hereas the partha naiveha namutra This is also confirmed in the Vedas: others cannot because everyone but vinasas tasya vidyate the bhakta, one who has pure love, na hi kalyiira-krt ka$cid nityo nityiinam cetana$ cetaniiniim has desire. A mddha-bhakta, pure devo durgatim tata gacchati eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman tee, is desireless because he is simply "Son of Prtha, a transcendentalist en happy serving Kr~IJ.a. He does not know gaged in auspicious activities does not he Lord is the supreme eter or even care whether Kr~IJ.a is God or meet with destruction either in this nal amongst all living enti not; he just wants to love Kr~l)a. Nor world or in the spirit~al world; one ties. He is maintaining all is he concerned with the fact that who does good, My fciend, is never T others." The desires and life Kr?t;~a is omnipotent or that He. is all overcome by evil." (Bg. 6.40) symptoms displayed by all living enti pervasive. In Vrndavana, the cowherd The Lord then indicates that the ties are simply reflections of the desires boys and the gopis did not know unsuccessful yogi takes up his practice and life symptoms of the supreme fa whether Knl].a was God or not, but of Kr~I].a consciousness in the next life, ther. In other words, our desires are they simply loved Him. Although the beginning from the point where he born because He has desires. Because gopis were not Vedantists, yogis or left off. In other words, if one has we are part and parcel of God, we karmls, they were happy because they finished fifty percent of the process in have all the instincts of God in minute were simple village girls and boys who one life, in the next life he begins at quantity. The sex play and sex life we wanted to see Kr~t;~a. This is a very fifty-one percent. Whatever material see in the material world is but the highly elevated position called sarvo assets we accumulate in our life, perverted reflection of the love found piidhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nir however, are all annihilated at death, in the spiritual world. This world is malam, or the stage of purity in which for we cannot take material opulence material because God is forgotten here, one is liberated from all material desig with us. but once He is remembered the world nations. But one should not think that he immediately becomes spiritual. In Although the yogis and jniinis are will do well to wait for the next life to other words, the spiritual world is that trying to understand God, they are attain Kr~t;~a consciousness. We should place where Kr~t;~a is not forgotten. not aware of their illusory condition. try to fulfill the mission of Kr~I]. a con That is also the definition of the spiri Maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimu sciousness in this life. Kr~I].a promises tual world given by Vedic literatures. flhan: they are fools because they are us that one who becomes His devotee We must therefore plan our lives in working hard for illusory happiness. will come to Him without fail: such a way that it will not be possible There is no question of peace for
Back to Godhead 7 them. The jnanis, or speculators, want When the demon Hiral)yakasipu saw there is no truth superior to Me. Every ing to get relief from the hard work of Kr~l)a, he saw Him as death personified, thing rests upon Me, as pearls on a this material world, reject this material but the devotee Prahlada saw Him in thread." (Bg. 7.6,7) world (brahma satyam jagan-mithyii.). His personal form as his beloved Lord. Kr~Qa is easily visible, but He is Their position is a little higher than Those who challenge God will see Him only visible to those who are devoted that of the karmis because the karmis in His ghastly aspect, but those who to Him. For those who are envious, have taken this material world as are devoted to Him will see Him in His foolish or unintelligent, He obscures everything. They say, "Here we shall personal form. ln any case, everyone Himself with His veil of yoga-maya: be happy," and their dharma, or will ultimately see God. naham prakasa~1 sarvasya religion, consists of trying to make a An honest person can always see yoga-maya-samavrtab peaceful atmosphere within this ma Kr~Qa everywhere. Kr~l)a says, "Try mu<}ho 'yam nabhijanati terial world. The fools do not know to understand Me. Try to see Me loko mam ajam avyayam that this has been tried for millions of everywhere." By way of facilitating years but has never happened and this method, the Lord says, raso 'ham "1 am never manifest to the foolish never will happen. How can peace in apsu kaunteya: "I am the taste of and unintelligent. For them I am the material world be possible when water." When we are thirsty and need covered by My eternal creative potency Kr~Qa, the creator Himself, says that a glass of water, we can drink it and [yoga-maya]; thus the deluded world this place is meant for trouble and feel happy, understanding that the knows Me not, who am unborn and miseries? power of water to quench our thirst infallible." (Bg. 7.25) This eternal creative potency, or ii.brahma-bhuvanallokab is Kn>Qa. Similarly, as soon as there is yoga-miiya, which obscures Kr~l)a to punar ii.vartino 'rjuna sunrise or moonshine, we can see Kn;pa , for He says, prabhasmi sasi the unintelligent, is dissolved by love. mam upetya tu kaunteya suryayofz: "I am the light of the sun This is the verdict of Bmhma-samhita: punar janma na vidyate and moon." At a further stage we can premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena "From the highest planet in the ma see Kr~J;ta as the life force within every santab sadaiva hrdayeJu vilokayanti terial world down to the lowest, all are thing, as He indicates in Bhagavad-gita: places of misery wherein repeated hose who thus see Kr~l)a are purzyo gandhab prthivyam ca birth and death take place. But one not anxious because they teje!S ciismi vibhavasau who attains to My abode, 0 son of know where they are going jivanam sarva-bhute~ Kuntl, never takes birth again." (Bg. at death. One who has taken tapaS Casmi tapasviJU T 8.16) the gift of Kr~l)a consciousness knows Dufzkhii.layam C!Sasvatam: not only "I am the original fragrance of the that he will not have to return to this is this world full of suffering, but it is earth, and I am the light in fire. I am material world to take another body also temporary. One cannot simply the life of all that lives, and I am the but will go to K~?Q.a. It is not possible agree to go ahead suffering the three penances of all ascetics." (Bg. 7. 9) to go to K\?l)a unless one attains a fold miseries and stay here. Even that nce we understand that all body like Kr?I;~a ' s , a sac-cid-iinanda will not be allowed. In this world, not things are dependent upon vigraha body, a body full of eternity, only will he be punished while staying Kr~Qa for their existence, knowledge and bliss. One cannot enter here, but he will also be kicked out at there is no possibility of His into fire and not perish unless he him the end. One may accumulate a large O self becomes fire, and similarly one ever becoming lost to us. In Bhagavad bank balance or an expensive home, a glta the Lord indicates that all things cannot enter into the spiritual realm in wife, children, and so many amenities, abide in Him both in their beginning in a body that is not spiritual. In a and he may think, "I am living very and in their end and also in the in spiritual body one can dance with peacefully," but at any day he may be terim state: Kr~pa in the rasa dance like the gopls. told, "Please get out." This is not an ordinary dance, but the "Why?" he will ask. "It is my house, etad yonini bhutani dance of eternity, in the association and it is paid for. I have money and a sarvarzity upadharaya with the Supreme Personality of God job and responsibilities. Why should I aham krtsnasya jagatafz head. Only those who have become get out?" prabhavafz pralayas tatha purified in their love for Km1a can "Just get out. Don't talk. Get out." participate in it. One therefore should mattab parataram nanyat On that day a man sees God. "Oh, not take this process of Kr~l)a con kincid asti dhananjaya did not believe in God," he may sciousness as something cheap, but as mayi sarvam idarh protarh think. "But now here is God finishing a matchless gift bestowed upon suffer sii.tre marzi-gara iva off everything." Thus it is said that the ing humanity by the Lord Himself. demoniac recognize Kr~l)a as death, "Of all that is material and all that is Simply by engaging in this process, all for at that time He takes everything spiritual in this world, know for certain the anxieties and fears of one's life, away from them. that I am both its origin and dissolu which in actuality revolve about the Why do we want to see God as death? tion. 0 conquerer of wealth [ Arjuna], fear of death, are allayed. (:j
8 Back to Godhead ( LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD )
A Back to Godhead Analysis
The modern materialistic mind followers of the SrTmad-Bhagavatarn, Carbon 14 cannot process the idea that the the ripened fruit of all Vedic Personality of Godhead has literature, that highly sophisticated Goes Out of Date Supreme already informed us of the Absolute forms of human society existed on Truth through sacred, revealed earth 5,000 years ago, and even long scriptures and that these words before that. In fact, the first living A RECE NT ISSUE of Time carries spoken by God represent axiomatic entity, Brahma, who appeared in the an article in which leading archaeo scientific facts. We prefer to research beginning of material creation, is the logical authorities admit that they for our knowledge. Indeed, we do most highly developed, sanctified and have long been wrong in their theory not believe in the existence of the intellectual being, and he is capable of "the cu ltural inferiority of pre Suprerne Personality of Godhead be of creating entire planetary systems, historic civilization in Eu rope." The cause we cannot f ind Him through as well as the bodies of all species of article states, "Now, in a surprising our empiric methods. life. about-face, archaeologists are sharply But those who are real educators, So long as we deny the authority questioning their old assumptions scientists and philosophers, the liber of the Vedic scriptures, taking them about the cultural inferiority of early ated sages of the Vedic civilization, to be mythology, and instead turn Europeans." What has prompted this follow the Vedic literature as sources to the theories of the scientists who major reassessment is a change in of Absolute Truth from which one are playing with material nature to archaeology's key dating tool-the can derive all the material and the amazement of people in general, so-cal led carbon 14 "nuclear clock." spiritual knowledge necessary for at we will be subject again and again to For our present purposes we need taining perfection in human life. The errors and rev isions of the truth; we not discuss the technicalities of why conclusion of Ved ic thought is that will never come to know the the scientists' wonderful play with man is not a product of this material Supreme Absolute Truth, the Person the "nuclear clock" has proved in world; his real self is an eternal ality of Godhead, SrT Kr~oa . As accurate. Suffice it to say that nature spiritual soul who is part of the stated in the Padma Puriilya, "No one has out-tricked them and forced Complete Whole, or God- Sri Kr~Qa. can understand the transcenden tal them to make major adjustments in Man's duty for perfect happiness is nature of the name, form, quality the science of archaeology. to engage in transcendental loving and pastimes of Sri Kr~oa through his This rad ical change in archaeo service to that Supreme Personality materially contaminated senses." In logical theory should serve as a lesson of Godhead. his commentary to Bhagavad-gltii As that the pronouncements of material We may note with interest that It Is, His Divine Grace A .C. Bhakti· science, based on knowledge gained archaeologists, having reviewed their vedanta Swami Prabhupada writes: through imperfect senses by imper mistaken method for dating ancient "A Kf~l) a conscious person has fect minds, are subject to error; they bones and plants, now conclude, "We realized knowledge, by the grace of should not be considered absolute. have completely undervalued the Kr~l)a, because he is satisfied with Science so dominates all fields of originality and creativity of prehis pure devotional service. By realized knowledge, however, that when ma toric Europe." Now they understand knowledge, one becomes perfect... terialistic scientists say that they can that even in prehistoric times skilled but by academic knowledge, one is make man immortal in his material and cultured workers were living in easily deluded and is confused by body or that they can create life, we Europe. Thus the empiric method apparent contradictions." receive the news as credible, for we yields glimpses of reality only after Archaeologists and other scientists are under the sway of the scientific many mistakes and many revisions would do well to use their technolog method of speculation. But now the of theories. ical methods to confirm, in scientific archaeologists' change of view gives But if one simply gives subm issive language, the truth enunciated in the evidence that this method is aural reception to tl1 e Ved ic litera· revealed scriptures. In this way, they defective. And whoever puts forward ture, one can at once have access to could f ree themselves of error, and such theories as absolute fact is in all knowledge, material and spiritual. both they themselves and al l man deed cheating. For example, it is well known to kind would benefit. !:]
Back to Godhead 9 Illustrations by Kim Murray
"rndivana, the highest paradise
by O.B.L. KAPOOR,Ph.D.
VJ.3.,ND AV ANA is the transcendental dwelling place states that each one of them is concentrated Brahman (dhiima) of K\$1J.a. Being a manifestation of His intrinsic en (spirit).S ergy (svarilpa-sakti), it is a part of Himself.1 It consists like Even though each dhiima is infinite and all-pervading, Him of the attributes of existence (sat), intelligence (cit) the dhiimas are said to be situated one above another. and bliss (iinanda) and is different from the phenomenal Situated above the mundane sphere, which is graded into world, which is a manifestation of His extrinsic energy fourteen worlds- the seven Lokas and seven Patalas-and (miiyii-sakti). Also, since it is a manifestation of His in beyond the River Viraja, is the Brahmaloka, or Siddhaloka, trinsic energy, it is inseparably related to Him. We can which is the residence of all the freed (mukta) souls (Cc. think neither of Kr~f,la without Vrndavana nor of Madhya 19.153). Above the Brahmaloka is the paravyoma, Vrndavana without Kr$f,la. Kr:;pa eternally stays in where the infinite avatiiras, or partial manifestations of Vrndavana and does not move even a step out of it Km1a, reside, and which is the support of infinite spiritual ( vrndiivanam parityajya sa kvacit naiva gacchati). 2 regions called Vaikup~has (Cc. Adi 5.15). Above all these Just as there are infinite manifestations of Krg1a, there dhiimas is KrH1aloka (K\$1J.a's abode), which, according to are infinite manifestations of His abode. For each mani the differences in Kr~n.a's pastimes (liliis) and associates festation of Kr~pa there is a corresponding manifestation (parikaras), appears in three different forms-as Dvaraka, of His dwelling place. Since Kr~pa is the highest manifesta Mathura and Gokula (Cc. Adi 5.13). Gokula, the highest tion of Bhagavim (the Personality of Godhead), His abode, of the three, is also called Vrndavana because Vrndavana Vrndavana, is the highest abode. Just as Kr:;f,la is Bhagavan is the central portion of Gokula. Himself (svayarh bhagaviin) and all other manifestations of The situation of the dhiimas above or below each other Bhagavan are manifestations of Kr~pa, Vrncfavana is the should not, however, be taken in its literal sense. lt actually dhiima (supreme abode) itself (svayarh dhiima), and all implies their gradation according to their excellence other manifestations of dhiima are the manifestations of (mahimii). The excellence of a dhiima depends on the Vrndavana.3 Vrndavana manifests itself partly or fully degree to which it manifests the highestdhiima, Vrndavana. according to Km1a's manifesting Himself partly or fully. Thus the excellence of Siddhaloka is greater than the Just as each partial manifestation of Kr$pa is transcenden excellence of the phenomenal world, the excellence of tal and all-pervading (vibhu) even though it appears phe paravyoma is greater than the excellence of Siddhaloka, nomenal and limited, each partial manifestation of the the excellence of Kr$Qaloka is greater than the excellence dhiima is transcendental and all-pervading, even though it of paravyoma, and the excellence of Gokula is greater appears phenomenal and limited. Even the different kinds than the excellence of all the rest of Kr!?Qaloka. The ex of objects in the dhiima, which look so much like pheno cellence of Vrndavana is the greatest of all. menal objects, are transcendental (cinmaya).4 Sanatana In the ~g Veda (1.154.6) Vrndavana is described as the Gosvami [a great authority on the Vedic scriptures] highest dhiima (pa ramarh padam) of Vi$pu. The Bhiigavatam also describes it as the highest dhiima. In the 0. B. L. Kapoor, Ph.D. , has served as Head of the Philosophy Departmem Gitii Kr~pa Himself describes it as "My highest dhama. "6 and Dean of the Faculty of Arts at B.R. College in Agra, India, as It is so described because it surpasses all other dhamas in Principal and Head of the Philosophy Depar:mem at K.N. Government grandeur (aisva rya) and sweetness (madhurya). But its Postgraduate College in Varanasi. as Principal of the Govemmem college in Rampur, and as a member of the Execwive Council ofAgra University. peculiarity is that its sweetness completely eclipses its He has been residing in Vrndavana since his retiremem in 1967 and is grandeur, so that everything here assumes a form sweet concerning the teachings enga,ged at present in writing books and articles beyond expression. Kr~pa does not appear here as God or of Sri Caitanya Mahiiprabhu and His disciples. He was initiated in 1932 by His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabllupada, even as a king, but as a cowherd boy with the crest of a by whose order Back to Godhead \ViiS first established in 1944. peacock feather on His crown and a flute in His hand, eternally engaged in amorous pastimes with His consorts on Dvarak.i, because it lacks the atmosphere of freedom and the bank of the River Yamuna underneath the kadamba the charm and grace so natural to Vrndavana and is there trees and in the green groves; laden with sweet-smelling fore not conducive to the highest bliss She is accustomed flowers, all of which breathe an atmosphere of freedom to experience in the company of Kr~J.la in Vrndavana. and sweetness most congenial to Him and His consorts. It is not surprising, therefore, that Uddhava, the wisest It is therefore not possible to think of K~;~t}.a's presence of Kr;>pa's associates, wishes to be a blade of grass or a anywhere else. Kr$J.J.a in Mathura and Dvaraka is not really creeper in V.rndavana so that he may be consecrated by the Kmta of Vrndavana but His partial manifestation tJte dust of the holy feet of the gopis. 8 Even the great Sarikaracarya, who regards the form and pastimes of Knr.ta as creations of maya, reveals a secret desire to be in Vrndavana so that he may sit on the bank of the Yamuna and pass each long day of his life in the twinkling of an eye, meditating on Kr~a:
kada vrnc:Lirarye tarari-tanaya-purya-puline smaran sn-gopalam nimifam iva nesyami divasan ( Abhi~~taka) The celestial Dvaraka, Mathura and Gokula (Vt;ndavana) have their replicas on earth [in India J in the forms of the geographical Dvaraka, Mathura and Vrndavana, which are known as their praka_ta-prakasas, or manifest forms. These appear as parts of the phenomenal world to our clouded vision, but are in essence identical with their celestial counterparts. Here also Kr~~a is eternally present with Nanda, Y a.Soda and His other associates and performs His pastimes with them as in the celestial Dvaraka, Mathura and Vrndavana. If we could see them with spiritual eyes, they would without a doubt appear in their true form (Cc. Adi 5.20-21). :Even today, while staying in these very abodes and in their very bodies, the devotees who attain accomplishment (siddhavastha) in devotion are blessed with the vision of the divine pastimes of Kr~Qa with His associates; such devotees need not be transported to any other abode or level of existence. When Kr~ua descends to these abodes, however, at the time of His manifest pastimes (prakata-prakasa), even those who are not devoted can see these pastimes in their true form. Such is the effect of the divine touch of KnQa with these abodes, which otherwise appear phenomenal. Besides the manifest forms of Kr~Qaloka, there is also an unmanifest form of it on earth that has the peculiar , ' * k power of always remaining invisible; it remain~ on earth without touching it. Thus there are two apraka_ta-prakasas called Vasudeva. When Krli~a is said to go out ofVrndavana, (unmanifest forms) of Kr~ttaloka . One is the Kr~paloka as, for example, when He goes to Mathura at the invitation situated above paravyoma, which is called by various of Kanisa, it is really His partial manifestation Vasudeva names: Goloka, Gokula, Svetadvipa, Vrajaloka or who goes there, not Kr~l!a Himself, who remains unmani- Vrndavana. The other is the invisible Kr~~aloka situated fest during that period in His manifest pastimes (prakata- on earth, which is different from the prapancika, the filii) in Vrndavana.7 phenomenal Kr~~aloka visible to our material eyes and Indicating how Kr~J.la is inseparably connected with actually touching the earth. It is also called Gokula or Vrndavana in His highest aspect, which fully displays His Vraja. sweetness, Radha, to whom even a moment's separation RiipaGosvamistatesinLaghu-bhagavatamrta (1.277.78) from Krgta is unbearable, is not satisfied to find Him in that Goloka is a majestic manifestation (vaibhava-prakasa) Kuruk~etra, where He appears as a king with His entourage of Gokula, which is essentially sweet in appearance and and not as a cowherd with His flute (Cc.Madhya 1.72-73). therefore greater in excellence. As an instance of the She is also not satisfied to fmd Him in Nava-vrndavana, majesty ( vaibhava) of Goloka, he cites the Varaha Purara, a replica of Vrndavana specially prepared for Her in which says that the kadamba trees of Goloka spread out ~@))f.(~~~@)f.~\W\®J ~)f,~Yf· fih1
;;~ ~.~" theoty i• ·~dp~orte~ bdybhthe rasa dance in) Goloka,c whicdh to him, both abodes can be attained on¥ by spontaneous 1 \' J Kr~pa lS sal In 8[ria . agavatamrta to lave penorme devotion and not by any other means. -1\..\::\ on the head of Kaliya Nii.ga, the thousand-headed The difference between the two points of view, how •'AJ/ cobra, although there is no mention of this in the ever, will seem negligible if we take into consideration ~\ J 7 Bhii.gavatam. the following points: ~)Ol~.~ p Acckohr:;qindg to) GJiva k G.osvhami .als~ (Go~jla·c~mpu,f 1. Although Sanatana Gosvami regards Goloka and f-.\1:!)\, urVa· ar. a, 19 , 0 10 a IS t e maJeStiC marmestatlon 0 Vrndavana as identical, it is clear from his !ikii on Brhad ,. '\ \ Yrndavana. He describes Vrndavana as the inner side bhiigavatamrta (2,5,78-79) that Vrndavana is the marma 1 ( )'j ( antar-ma~:H;iala) of Goloka, and Goloka as the outer side tariirilsa of Goloka, or the part of Goloka that supersedes ~~,~{1\. jl (bahir-ma7J{Iala) of Vr;ndavana. But they are not the outer the whole in excellence. d ' and inner side of each other in the physical sense, for 2. Sanatana also admits that the excellence of the ; .j it is possible to see Goloka in Vrndavana (because Goloka phenomena] Vraja exceeds the excellence of Goloka at Q ' is the majestic manifestation of Vrndavana) but not the time of the manifest pastimes (praka_ta-lilii ) of 1 . ~l ] possible to see Vrndavana in Goloka (Krfrza-sandarbha, Kr~~a.13 ~ ,.'('~'~~ 116). According to Rupa and ]iva, (Bhakti-rasamrta- 3. Although Rupa and Jiva regard Goloka as the ~~N I sindhu, 7ika 1.4 ), Goloka can be attained by vaidhi (ritual- majestic manifestation of Vrndavana, Jiva seems to regard ., istic) bhakti, but Vrndavana can be attained only by them as essentially identical. He establishes their identity ~~:.~:f. raganuga bhakti, or bhakti flowing spontaneously like a by referring to the "goloka eva nivasati" text of Brahrna-
).··· ,/~·,, , · ·~~ - ···\: ,- , ·,~ :r· ·~···'.n~ ··· ~··~T ! . .... · ··.· ,Tfr· ...':r ,·. ;/'.y .;.r:; ~ / /"' ~~....-}. r 'f •. _1/ • . ,I' ~ J. -..\) ~' ./'· · ··,-...- · , •' I e <. ~ .... ~ -~- ~-~ j-;:, ~:'~ _li \, \,.,· , .-.·, I , .,~ I "' ·:.~' ..r ~ -:;, , .I. ._ ,M ~· . ~~ \.--'0,..0 ~ 1', ·0 "'-C>I .J.t' -.~ -: •' J~ ... \ ~·~ ~ : / • t • • .-\..Y:.' • , : ..... c~ r ·· l :.M'I-...'-';-r " ~ ~ ., ·· , ... - ' ... ~ ,.,.. • , \,.; ~~ "" ();~~~ i~~~\.-~~ -*~ ,, ~ r::_r .\ ; ~·- 1o ~0 ·• [' .,.r.~·~ ,.., : ....;,ts:. ~- . ?.· < • , · r-;tJ c) \:'" )i ~ r-; ·· · J.:· \~ · \::: r-t~ :'".A- I+. r .· . o •.·.... .• :·t.'M.•• • ' ~ ·"'· ~ ... !'1;:'-o'. -\ ·1. . : . . f.: 1:> . ~ . .. ft: .< ·t · . ... -" . ~. . : ·_:--- .~.·, , .· - ., ... _.)), .. > · · · ~ ... ·• ·~ ._ • · •J. -~·~· L.a.:·· :t. • • ._ . ••..-;:::: • ...... """ .• . ,. . sal'nhita and the " tatrNath §a, pp. 165-66. are even today blessed Guha's Sri Madltava·madlrurya·manju who have ardent love for Kr~Qa 15. Brhad-bltagavatamrta, 2,5,172 'fikii. with a vision of His divine pastimes in this very Vrndavana. 16. Blrakti·rasamrta·sindltu, Sadltana-bltakti·lahari, 1,2,303 Tikii Sanatana Gosvami' says that Vfndavana is here on earth 17. This is in accordance with the principle: yodrsT bhallr11Ui yasya and Kr~r:ta 's unmanifest pastimes are going on in it even siddhlr blw11t1ti tad[ii. now, but none except those to whom He and His devotees 18. Vrndavana·malrimamrta, 17,33 19.1bid. 17.85 are kind can see it. Prabodhananda Sarasvati describes ~The Bhakti VIewpoint~ K~S~A CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE UNIVERSITY
presentation. We want to Profe.ssor Alton L. Becker is Associate Professor of Linguistics know what they have to say. and Director of the Center for We want to appreciate it South and Southeastern Studies without making our own at the University of Michigan interpretation. in Ann Arbor. He recently in This position actually has vited His Holiness Satsvarupa the greatest integrity. As dasa Gosvamf, the Editor ofBack Professor Becker was saying, to Godhead, to address a meeting of the faculty and students of the bhakti is sometimes accused Center. This is a record of that of not having integrity. This event. is what I meet when I show people Bhagavad-gita. They Professor Becker: When I say, " I can't use that first informed members of Bhagavad-gitii because it the faculty that I was inviting says that Km1a is God and a Hare KJ;~l)a devotee to speak at our duction to what they are doing and that one should approach Him as the meeting, the response was negative. I then open up the meeting to questions. supreme authority. Now, there are think that often our view of the KJ;~l)a And so without taking any more time, many other interpretations, and if I consciousness movement is one border let me turn the hour over to Satsvariipa present this one to my students, I ing perhaps on annoyance, or a feeling dasa Gosvami. may be accused of some kind of reli that these people are interlopers in a Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami: Thank you gious sectarian ism." field that we properly academically very much, Professor Becker. Some professors, however, are more control. And I think it's a loss, a tre Our movement stands on the au academically astute. I have been in mendous loss, for our university and thority of the Vedic literature, which spired to talk with Professor Dimock ourselves that the de~otional side, the of course is studied in universities of the University of Chicago, who· has bhakti side, of knowledge or wisdom is throughout the world. I am going from written the introduction to Swami something we have rejected in our uni university to university, talking to pro Bhaktivedanta's Bhagavad-gita As It Is. versity traditions for thousands of fessors and showing them our books, He says that our approach, which is a years. That we should be dispassionate, so I am also learning about the aca forceful presentation of bhakti, is per detached and sort of impersonal about demic approach Professor Becker de fectly legitimate. Not only is it perfect learning, particularly learning of the scribed. But we understand that the ly legitimate-it is the purport of the eastern religions, has been almost a pre real scholars of Vedic literature are its Vedic literature. An actual scholar of supposition of every course and every original compiler and the iicaryas the Vedic literature must know how class in college. [teachers] who come in what is called to understand these books from the Many of us feel that this divorcing the disciplic succession. These Vedic original scholars. In Bhagavad-gitii of the personal or devotional from scriptures, like the Vedas, Upani~ads, [4.2] K{~l)asays: learning, from wisdom, is a bad thing. Vedanta-siitra, Bhagavad-gita and evam parampara-praptam And so I think we have a great deal to Bhagavata Purara, were enunciated, rmam rajar~ayo vidu[l learn about the religions of India from according to the evidence we get from sa kaleneha mahatii people who have taken a direct, more the books themselves, by God, or the yogo na~{a[r parantapa involved and, I think, more complete Absolute Truth. They are not ordinary and total approach ·to the things we literature. Of course, they can be He gives the key to understanding this read about in books. studied for language, history, philoso book. "The science of yoga," the Lord We have with us today Satsvariipa phy or religion- but what do they ac says, "was taught and passed down in dasa Gosvami and two other devotees tually mean, aside from different a disciplic succession of teachers, and who have come from Madison, interpretations? the saintly kings understood it in that Wisconsin, at my invitation to speak Our approach is to give great respect way." In other words, the teachings to us about the K{~l)a consciousness to the acaryas themselves, the com are meant for society's leaders, so that movement. I thought what we would pilers of the Vedic literature, for being they may train themselves in spiritual do today is to let them give an intro- very clear-headed and complete in their life and pass this knowledge down for
14 Back to Godhead Photo: V ilasa·vigraha dasa the benefit of everyone. "But in the the five senses. His idea, of course, is Outside the university or inside, if course of time," KI;.!i!)a continues, "the that the battle did not actually happen. you can find that Absolute Truth succession was broken, and now I am But we take it from Kr~Qa Himself whether by research, by chanting or passing this knowledge on to you." that Kuruk~etra is an actual place by reading books- if you can under Thus in Bhagavad-gitii Arjuna, the dis where a real battle was fought. This is stand where everything is coming from, ciple, becomes another recipient of called the direct meaning, in contrast who you are, and how you are differ this knowledge, and in the next verse to the indirect meanings like Gandhi's. ent from the material world, then your Kr~I;~a states why: "Because you are Of course, the bhakta (devotee), the knowledge is perfect. My devotee and friend." It is this impersonalist and the so-called objec We should not study Vedic culture devotion to K~~lJ.a that makes one a tive grammarian and historian all have as if it were a collection of quaint scholar of the Vedic literature. in common the quest for knowledge. tribal customs, thinking, "They per So who are these original scholars? 1 spoke with one graduate student form their death-rites like this, and I am talking about liberated souls such majoring in East Asian studies at the they have this strange belief about God as Vyasadeva, the compiler of almost University of Minneapolis. I asked him, and the supernatural." Rather, each of all the Sanskrit scriptures, and Narada " Why are you studying this? What are us requires knowledge of his own Muni, and great sages (nis) like Lord you preparing for by studying?" He position. I who am studyi.ng this book Brahma and Lord Siva. We may con answered that he was not studying what is my solution to death? The sider all these people mythological, to make money or prepare for an occu Vedic literature teaches us how to be but why not simply try to see what pation; the main reason was to get free of death. The Vedas actually give they are presenting? knowledge. Simply b ecause the knowl us information, as human beings, how Because people are suffering in ma edge is worthwhile, it should be studied. to realize our blissful transcendental terial life, limited by birth, death, nature. disease and old age, great sages, out of In stressing this aspect, the transla compassion, have presented this litera " We want to study the tions and commentaries of His Divine ture whereby one can understand him language, grammar and Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami self as eternal and free himself of all history minutely, but Prabhupada have been appreciated by the inebrieties connected with the such an esteemed scholar as Professor material body. This is the purpose of to this end : to appreciate Dimock to be actually hitting the nail the Vedic literature. So we want to how this literature can solve on the head. We want to cooperate Study the language, grammar and his the problems of life . ... with scholars and educators in distribu tory minutely, but to this end: to ting some of these books to serious stu appreciate how this literature can solve dents. This spring, the University of the problems of life. This pure attitude is very nice. The Minnesota is offering a course called In addition to sages like Vyasa and objective is not grossly materialistic "K.{~l).a Through the Ages." Of course, Narada Muni, we consult more recent not to study so that in ten years one the professor, Dr. Tapp, takes the sages like Madhva Acarya, Ramanuja will be making so much money. The approach that ~~r:Ia is someone mythi Acarya and Lord Caitanya, who have study itself is worthwhile. cal, but at least the man appreciates transmitted the meaning of the Vedic So what is that knowledge? The that our Krgza Book is a very strong literature through an authorized dis Vedas teach us that a person is not the presentation of Kr~p~a as someone real. ciplic succession. But people who know material body. We have to enter this And students will see that this is a next to nothing about the disciplic area of Absolute Truth if we are ac dynamic presentation, not another succession more or less irreverently tually to talk about knowledge. dead study. Therefore Professor Tapp poke into the Vedic literatures, es In Bhagavad-gitii [7.19) , real knOwl is using this book as required reading, pecia ll y Bhagavad-gitii. For instance, edge is described: and he also wants to include The Mahatma Gandhi made a commentary Nectar of Devotion, a summary study bahunam janmaniim ante on Bhagavad-gita to put forward his of a famous book by Rupa Gosvam!, jniinaviin marh prapadyate philosophy of ahirr1sii, nonviolence. a disciple of Lord Caitanya, about the viisudeval'z sarvam iti But to do that is rather difficult be science of bhakti. sa mahatma sudmlabha!-t cause Bhagavad-gitii is taught on a l spoke to another professor at the battlefield, with Kr~.;a urging Arjuna Real knowledge is knowledge of the University of Minnesota, Professor to fight . The first verse begins,dharma Absolute Truth, the transcendental Kopf, who is studying Vedic literature kfetre kuru - k~etre. Kuruk~etra is the source of everything, which is beyond from a historical point of view. He is place where the battle occurred. It's all speculation. The Vedanta-sutra be very perplexed because according to a place in India, and you can go there gins this inquiry. Athiito brahma archaeological records there was no even today. But Gandhi says that jijniisii: "What is the Absolute Truth?" society further back than three thou kuru - k~etra means "the body." Then The next code states, janmiicly asya sand years ago; yet Bhagavad-gitii, the five ParJQava brothers are men yatafz: "The Absolute Truth is that according to Lord Kt~r:Ia , dates back tioned. Gandhi says they represent from which everything is coming." much further. So he took other books,
Back to Godhead 15 but he was doubtful about Bhagavad also asking why Kr~~a was on a battle avajananti mam mugha gitii. But when l got to Chicago and field-a scene of violence-and advo manu~im tanum asritam met Professor Dimock, he said that cating violence. param bhavam ajiinanro this professor had called him up and For the answer, you have to go to mama bhiita-mahe.Svaranr asked, " What about this Bhagavad-gWi Mahabharata. But one should also "Fools deride Me when I descend in the by Swami Bhaktivedanta ?" And he understand that ~~~a is an avatiira : human form. They do not know My said , " Yes, it's excellent. You should He is the Absolute Truth personified, transcendental nature and My supreme take it." not an ordinary person. When He dominion over all that be." (Bg.9.11J We are not money-making book comes into t he material world, He may Question: You have quoted repeat publishers, nor are we sectarian re act as a k~atriya, but He is not within edly from Sanskrit. Does Bhagavad ligionists trying to bring prayer books the conditioning of this material world. gita translate effectively into English ? to people. That may have some value, And when He does something, no one Satsvarupa cfiisa Gosvami: Yes. The but we are teaching knowledge of a is affected for evil. For instance, when Kr~pa conscious devotees are all learn higher value than the sentimental or Kr~~a killed or Arjuna killed under ing Blragavad-gita, and yet we are not sectarian. We are therefore presenting Kr~~ a's direction, whoever was per Sanskrit scholars. But the teachings a humble plea for scholars and educa sonally killed in that way gained eternal have been so effective that we have tors to examine our books seriously liberation to t he spiritual world. More completely taken t o this way of life. and try to use them t o promote a over, the battle was arranged just to I was just talking to a very nice English proper understanding of w hat Vedic annihilate miscreants. Kr~~a says, "I professor here, Sheridan Baker, who is literature actually is. come in age after age to annihilate the helping us edit our Back to Godhead Our meeting is short. If there are magazine. He was talking about any questions, we would like to discuss Thoreau and lvalden. We noted that them. Thoreau had great appreciation for " Kr~r:ta is the all-good Question: There is a part of the Bhagavad-glta. Emerson also appreci mythical body of literature about Personality of Godhead. ated it, and so did Einsten. There have ~~~a in the Mahiibhiirata where He is If you consider Him an also been many others who appreciated a k~c1triya [warrior] and assists the ordinary man, you cannot it. But no one became a devotee of PiirJqavas by rather t ricky means. Peo understand Him." K r~~a until these English translations ple therefore sometimes question by Swami Bhaktivedanta and his per Kr~~a's character. l was wondering sonal demonstration of devotion to if you thought these things preceded Kr~~a. So his translations have been the development of ~~~a as a prophet. miscreants." At the time of the Battle very effective. There are now thou Satsvarupa cfiisa Gosvami: Just see. of Kuruk:;etra, the Pli~Qavas had been sands of Kr~~a conscious devotees. You have one understanding- that thrown out of their rightful kingdom Question : Do you, in your activities, ~~tta is devious, practically immoral by Duryodhana and his brothers, and ever have to face a believing Chirstian? but I have the understanding that Kr~~a Kr~~a wanted Arjuna to fight for the Satsvarupa clasa Gosvaml: A believ is all good and that He is actually the throne and justly rule the people. It ing Christian? Very rarely. We very God of the Jewish, Christian and was not a political w~ r like those rarely meet any believing Christians. Mohammedan r eligions. Of course, we nowadays. [laughter J have different teachers. You have read You ask why Kr~~a was using tricky Question: I didn't mean to be cyni some books, but I can only tell you means. Once Kr~~a asked His devotee cal about Christianity. I just meant the version I have heard from my Yudhighira to lie to Dro~acarya by that you base your religion on the spiritual master in disciplic succession. saying that his son was dead because idea that these texts reveal the truth. That is the version of ~~~a Himself He knew that this would discourage Now the question has to arise in argu and the version of the acaryas within DroJ.lacarya. Yudhighira at ftrst hesi ing with a Christian why you believe the Vedic culture. According to them, tated. He said, "I can't tell a lie; I am these texts reveal the truth and not interpretations considering Kr~~a an a moral man." But actually authorities their texts. And my question is how ordinary human b eing o r mythical have analyzed that this somewhat di you would answer that. hero have no importance. minished his s tature as a truly moral Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami: Well , the When I was in England last summer, man b ecause he was hesitating to explanation our spiritual master has a famous professor, Professor Zaehner follow instructions from the Person given is that not only the Bible but of Oxford University, gave a talk there ality of Godhead. Kr~J.la is the all-goad the Koran and all bona fide scriptures in which he said that ~~~a is immoral. Personality of Godhead, and whatever differ according to three different He cited some murderer, Charles He does is for the ultimate liberation principles- time, place and the persons Manson, and said that he was following of those with whom He comes in con taught. An expert religionist can make ~~~a 's teachings. This kind of talk is tact. I f you consider Him an ordinary the adjustments. For example, in the actually very offensive to one who man, you cannot understand Him. He Mohammedan religion there is an in follows Bhagavad-gita. But you are Himself says this in 13hagavad-gita: junction that no man should sleep with
16 Back to Godhead his mother. So we understand that tion program in India in our Mayapur, would consider that a betrayal of what since this was being stressed, the Bombay and Calcutta centers, and you are doing. Yet that is presumably people must have been very degraded; mainly for printing books. We distribute done within the same organization. they must have been doing that. Also, our books practically at what they Satsvarupa c:fiisa Gosvami: We sup "Thou shalt not kill." Only murderers cost us, and whatever profit we make port those boys and girls who are out need to be advised not to do it. So the goes back into producing more books. all day distributing books. They are Absolute Truth is contained in all We are a very book conscious society. very great workers. You are appreci scriptures, but there are different levels We feel that the most effective way to ating our humble presentation, but of spiritual culture and information spread this truth is to present it in our presentation is inferior to theirs. about what God is. The example is literature. In N ew York we are trying Theirs will have more e ffect. They dis given that a small pocket dictionary to buy a building to use as a head tribute so many books, and they are and an unabridged dictionary are both quarters. We are not speculating, look so selfless- they don't keep any profit. valid, but the unabridged d ictionary ing for land to make money. But, This is a Vedic tradition. Formerly has more. So if one wants to know nevertheless, money-making is all right, a disciple spent from morning to night more than "God is great," he can con provided it is in Kn>I)a 's service. There collecting something for the spiritual sult the Vedic literature. But if a is one irnpersonalist philosopher who master, and at night he would just lie stude nt, say a fourth-grade arithmetic is said to have been so detached from down on the floor and take a little rice student, cr iticizes, "Oh, in calculus material life that if anyone offered him and think that austerity was nice. Now, they are learning all sorts of nonsense money, as an automatic reflex his hand of course, the public is not interested that we never learned about," then he would turn away from it. But if you in giving alms for a spiritual cause. But is wrong. even though society is so materialistic, Question: What the Christian claims the devotees are out there, and all I can precisely is that his Bible is "We support those above your boys ask is that you forgive these disciples if scripture, and my question is how you and girls who are out all you are offended by them, because argue with him about the idea that da actually they have no intent other yours is above his. y distributing books . . than to give you this knowledge and Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami: We don't They have dedicated call attention to it. Humanity is gen get much description of the Personality themselves to spreading erally asleep, and they are trying to of Godhead from the Bible. The Kr~Qa consciousnes distribute this knowledge. It's their Christian does not know much s. . " about only desire. And if you can take a the nature of the spiritual world or the book or talk with them, you will see activities there or how to engage in offer a Vai~I) ava (devotee) money, he they are not actually offensive people; bhakti-yoga. But that is elaborately will at once take it; and if you give they are very nice. They are more described in Srima d-Bhagavatam. him a million dollars, he will come humble than our formal presentation Question: I have read that in fact the back the next day to ask for more. because they are doing more to spread Kr~I)a conscious movement has Because he sees that everything is actual spiritual culture than you in cornered the incense market and is l(r~I)a 's energy and should be engaged your classroom or me talking here. star ting real estate speculation in New in Kr~I)a's service. T hey have dedicated themselves to York. Now do those profits go down Question: Do you have some dis spreading Krg1a consciousness in the to the members , or where is the profit stinction between laymen and non American culture. That's very brave going? You said you weren't money laymen? of them. One can go door to door in making and you weren't book publish Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami: Yes. To India, and just by seeing a devotee in ing, but you seem to be in book pub become a formal disciple, one must saffron, people will offer respect. But lishing, and I have read that in fact follow four ru les: no meat eating, no we wear saffron and- just the opposite. there is a lot of money-making going illicit sex, no gambling and no intoxi Yet rather than be frustrated and re on. I was just interested in who cation. If one does that, and if he also tire, the devotees have persisted. And handles that. chants the Hare Kr~I)a maha-mantra a many people, when they stop and Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami: Where is certain minimum number of times understand what's happening, like see all the money going? We are spending daily, he is considered a "Hare Kr~I) a ing devotees in the street persistently it all. We just put in a p rinting order person." chanting and trying to distribute these for over $500,000 worth of books; Question: I am not very concerned books. If it were a bogus movement, we are always printing books. Our about the money aspect of it. You were if it were something harmful, then it members don't receive any salaries. speaking before about a humble plea would be offensive. But they arc not There is not someone off in India or for knowledge, and I feel very good cheating anyone. Their understanding Monte Carlo who has all the Kr~I)a about that. But the aspect of your is that everything belongs to Kr~I)a, money and is living it up. The money group that most of us see on the street and they are trying to get something or is being spent for our projects- for is considerably more pushy and con someone into the service of Kr~l)a buildings, for our active food distribu- siderably more offensive to me, and I again. f:j
Back to Godhead 17 THE LOS ANGELES KRSNA• • • CONSCIOUS COMMUNITY lhe VPerfettion of VllenuneiatiOJt
Te? IGH IN THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS, a naked yogi sits in a cave, on a deerskin, meditating on the Supreme Truth. He eats nothing, sees no one H and goes nowhere, for he is practicing renunciation of the material world. In an entirely different setting, in Los Angeles, California, a community of three hundred Hare Kt~~a devotees lives in a suburban neighborhood sometimes called the "Hare Kt~~a quarter," which includes a dozen offices, four apartment buildings, a book warehouse, a stately temple and a large factory. Men and women, many with young children, they dance, sing, eat sumptuously, work hard and handle large sums of money-yet surprisingly enough, they also claim to practice renunciation of the material world. Even more astounding, if we examine the positions of the recluse meditator and the society of devotees, we find that according to the Vedic scriptures the lives of the Kt~~a conscious devotees are more renounced, for everything the devotees do is for the satisfaction of Kt~~a, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. While taking a tour of the Los Angeles com munity (which, for its opulence, he named "New Dvaraka " after Lord Kt~~a's celestial capital city on earth), Srila Prabhupada, the spiritual master of the Hare Kt~~a movement, once recited this verse from the Vedic scriptures: anasaktasya vi~ayan yatharham upayuiijatah nirbandhah kr~tJa-sambandhe yuktarit vairagyam ucyate prapaiicikataya buddhya hari-sambandhi-vastunah mumuk~ubhih parityago vairagyarit phalgu kathyate "When one is not attached to anything but at the same time accepts everything in rela tion to Kr~~a. one is rightly situated above possessiveness. On the other hand, one who rejects everything, without knowledge of its relationship t~ Kr~~a. is not as complete in his renunciation." (Bhakti-rastimrta-sindhu, 1.2.255-256) Srila Prabhupada asked that this quote be written on a sign and hung in a prominent place in the temple, for it pinpoints the essence of the Los Angeles temple's spiritual success: that all its activities and paraphernalia are directed not for anyone's selfish sense gratification but for the transcendental pleasure of the Supreme Lord, Sri Kr~Qa. KarUQ~Sindhu d~sa.a former fine arts student at the University of Washington, joined the Kr1!la consciousness movement in 1970. He and his wife have been members of the New Dvarakli community ever since. 111eir five· year-old daughter is a student at JSKCON's Guru kula school in Dallas. Texas. Mu raiTvadana dllsa,a gradUilte of Maryland Institute of Art, also joined the Kn!Ja consciousness movement in 1970. He and his wife are also residents ofNew Dvarakli. vtn:l'emple ~orship ~ The entire Los Angeles community of devotees gathers for kirtar1a (congregational chanting of the names of God) at 4:30 every morning. According to Vedic scriptures, to rise one and a half hours before sunrise and attend the kirtana ceremony starts the day with potent spiritual inspiration. Men on one side, women on the other, in two rows the length of the temple, the devotees face the three closed doors that house the holy Deities. The women wear saris; the men, dhotis (robes)-white if they are married, saffron if they're not. Both men and women wear white clay tilaka marks on their foreheads, signifying that they are devotees of Kr~l)a. The chanting of Hare Kr$t)a begins, accompanied by hand cymbals and drums. After a few minutes of chant ing, the pujiirl (altar attendant) rings a bell and then opens the three large doors, revealing the Deities, chief of whom are Radha and KHI)a (shown here). The pujiiri then offers the Deities a flame, handker chief, conch shell and other articles one after another in large circles, as the chanting of Hare Kr~t:la increases its tempo, the devotees swaying rhythmically from side to side, a few small children dancing with their parents. On the marble altars, artfully arranged with flowers, vases three silver trays of milk and sweets present and candles, Top left, To attend the kirtana ceremony before sunrise starts the first of six daily offerings to the Deities, who are the day with potent spiritual inspiration. Top right, Silavat~ dasi, dressed in silks and ornaments. Singing and dancing, the head seamstress at New Dvaraka, sews clothes for the Deities. A devotees worship with rapt attention. But, one might true devotee is always engaged in the service of the Supreme and other ask, who are the Deities? Lord. Above, The pujari offers the Deities a flame articles one after another. Opposite page, The smiling, all Srila Prabhupada has clearly explained the Deity wor attractive Radha · K~[la Deities are the center of attention for ship in his books and lectures. "You cannot approach the New Dvaraka community. The Deity is not an idol; the Lord or see Kr$t)a with your present blunt senses and contami makes Himself visible in the Deity form. nated desires," he writes. "But Knt:la is so merciful that He appears before you in the form of the Deity so that you may see Him and render loving service. Everything the form of the Lord in the temple as a fully potent is Kr~l)a 's energy, and so He can appear in this form if incarnation of the Lord, to worship the Deity in the He likes." temple is to worship the Supreme Personality of God The form of Krg1a in the temple with Radharal)i, His head Himself. eternal consort and pleasure energy, is not a mere idol This facility to worship the Lord's form is a great fashioned from imagination, nor is the worship in the benediction because it enables one to serve the Lord in temple a whimsical or concocted process. The Vedic a personal way and fix one's mind upon the Lord's scriptures describe in detail the Lord's form and how to personal features. The vital principle of Deity worship carve or paint the form of the Deity. Since the Supreme is to fix one's mind upon th e form of the Lord and Lord is absolute, His form is not different from Him. consider oneself His humble servant. Thus the form of the Lord in the temple is an authorized In this consciousness, the devotees in New Ovaraka incarnation of the Lord who can accept the loving service consider themselves humble servants of the Deity. Think of His devotees. ing of Him as the owner and controller of everything, Srila Prabhupada often gives the example of a mail the devotees depend upon His mercy and act only to box. The post office establishes boxes for the deposit please Him. By centering all their activities around Kr~l)a of mail, and because these boxes are authorized, putting in this way, the. devotees create the blissful spiritual mail in the box is as good as putting it in the post office atmosphere of devotional service that is the essence of itself. Similarly, because the Vedic scriptures authorize New Dvaraka. 20 Back to Godhead for spreading spiritual consciousness in the modern age. The Garu{ia Purii~Ja gives the following comparison: "The ~ VNew mvarafta'smistributioJt state of conditioned life in the material world is like the unconsciousness of a man bitten by a snake, for both of VK~tta Consciousness iltN these unconscious states can be ended by the sound of a mantra." Worship is not confined to the temple. Since the Su Commenting on this verse, our spiritual master ex preme Lord is all-pervading, His devotees go everywhere plains: "When a man is snake-bitten he does not die to preach His glories for the benefit of those who have immediately, but first becomes unconscious and remains forgotten Him. Although New Dvaraka sponsors presen in a comatose condition. Anyone who is in the material tations of Krg1a consciousness in high schools and world is also sleeping, as he is ignorant of his actual self colleges in the Los Angeles area and also holds daily or his actual duty and his relationship with God. So classes and a Sunday festival at the temple, its most im materialistic life means that one is bitten by the snake portant programs for spreading Kr$1Ja consciousness are of maya, illusion, and thus, without Kr$1Ja consciousness, sankirtana and the distribution ofKr$r)a conscious books. he is almost dead. Now the so-called dead man bitten by The most visible of the temple's activities is sankirtana, a snake can be brought back again to life by the chanting the public congregational chanting of the holy name of of some mantra. There are expert chanters of these God, as in the Hare Kr$r)a maha-mantra- Hare Kr$pa, mantras who can perform this feat. Similarly, one can be Hare Kr$1Ja, Kr~pa Kr$1Ja, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare brought back into Kr$Da consciousness from the deadly Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The Vedic scriptures unconscious state of material life by hearing of the mahii recommend this chanting as the most effective means mantra: Hare Kr$1Ja, Hare Kr;;pa, Kr$Da Kr$1Ja, Hare Hare/ 22 Back to Godhead T.Devotees chant the maha-mantra at joyous Hare Krsna festivals please God. So when I try to help the mission ·of my in the parks and beaches of Los Angeles. 2. Ramesva.ra· dasa takes spiritual master, I know I have pleased Kr~rya too. Who great pleasure in showing an interested gentleman one of Srila Prabhupada's books. Devotees in this way distribute mill ions of ever gets a book gets the highest knowledge, and he can Krsna conscious books every year. 3. Krsnakanti dasa and his be really joyful." associates of Golden Avatar Productions.. prepare a tape for a Adding still another dimension to New Dvarabi's radio broadcast. Their motto: " Hearing is the beginning of programs, Golden Avatar Productions makes t he philoso understanding." 4. Natural joy illuminates the face of a K!1~a phy and chanting of the Kr~rya consciousness movement conscious devotee. available on the radio, on records and on tape cassettes. Started two years ago by Kr~ryakanti dasa, an electronics Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare." engineer who worked for six years with NBC television Understanding the potency of the maha-mantra, new before joining the New Dvarakii community, Golden Dvaraka's devotees go to the busiest areas of Los Angeles Avatar has distributed more than 25,000 tape cassettes to spread this benediction. As their other duties allow, and produces a weekly radio show, broadcast by eighty some devotees go out chanting once a week, some once stations throughout the United States. a day, and some every day, all day long. This chanting not only purifies those who chant but also those who hear, be they conscious of its potency or not. Thus one who hears the maha-mm1tra gradually becomes eligible to understand Kr~IJ.a consciousness and engage in the devotional service of Lord Kr~IJ.a. Everyone in New Dvaraka serves Kr~I)a, but how each Since the background for this chanting is a uniquely devotee does so depends upon his skills and leanings and detailed, clear, scientific and therefore convincing philoso also upon his social status. A Vedic community divides phy of spiritual consciousness, the Hare Kr~ ~a devotees its members into four social groups: brahmacaris (stu understand that their most effective preaching is the dents), grhasthas (householders), vanaprasthas (the re distribution of their spiritual master's books, which tired) and sannyasis (the renounced). Each of these convey this philosophy as originally enunciated by the groups has different duties. Supreme Lord Kr~IJ.a Himself. New Dvaraka distributes Krg1a conscious books not only locally but on a nationwide level, for devotees in New Dvaraka arrange the shipment of books to other Kr~IJ.a conscious centers throughout the United States. According to the devotees who manage New Dvaraka's book warehouse, last year the warehouse served as a distribution center for five hundred tons of books. New Dvaraka is also the distribution center for Back to Godhead, which now has a monthly circulation of almost half a million copies. The mon~ y collected on sales of books and magazines goes for printing more, and thus the distribution is always increasing. Locally, devotees distribute Kr:;1;1a conscious literature personally, hand to hand, to in teres ted readers. The chanting party distributes many books, and other devotees, who go out individually with big bags full of books, distribute many more. According to Rame$vara The duty of a brahmacarT is to engage always in hearing and dasa, one of the chief architects of New Dvaraka's book speaking about Kr~l)a, the Supreme Lord. distribution program, "These book distributors are the greatest friends of mankind because they are dedicated Since the duty of a viinaprastha- a married man who to spreading knowledge and giving relief and the joyful wishes to develop detachment and retire from family life everyone is see king. T hey don't take vacations; they life- is to travel fo r purification, and the duty of a are always thinking of how to distribute this knowledge." sannyasi- a renounced ascetic- is to travel and preach, Some devotees are so eager to distribute Krg1a con there are no vanaprasthas and sannyasis in residence at scious books that they do it all day long. Tripurari dasa, New Ovaraka; all the devotees are brahmaciiris and one of New Dvaraka's most enthusiastic distributors, grhasthas. explains: "Every time I give someone a book, I feel that The brahrnaciiris are unmarried Kr~rya conscious stu I've pleased my spiritual master. Prabhupada came here dents. The Vedic culture does not allow an unmarried to distribute this science of Kr~IJ.a consciousness to every boy to dall y in sexual affairs , for such intrigues simply one, and the duty of t he disciple is to serve and assist the create agitation, both for o neself and for others. and spiritual master. By pleasing God's devotees one can thus stand in the way of spiritual progress. According Back to Godhead 23 to the Vedic system, one who feels a need for the com Right, The New Dvaraka householder community. Bottom left. panionship of a woman should marry and live as a peace Mothers and daughters outside of the Los Angeles temple. Even ful and responsible gentleman, and one who does not a child can become K ~~l)a conscious and thus participate in the highest system of yoga. Bottom right. If one is fully feel such a need Krsna con should forget about sex altogether and scious, he can make his home very happy simply by ·chanting concentrate his energy in l<{~I]a consciousness. Hare K~~l)a, Hare Kr~l)a, Kr~l)a Kr~l)a, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama. Brahmacarl life, therefore, is a life of freedom from Hare Alima, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. sex- and the entanglements that come with it. A brahma cari need not worry about how to get food, money, a full benefits are available to renounced celibates and to home and security to keep a wife and family happy. He married men and women as well. keeps only the bare necessities of life (which Kr~I]a "The Vedic scriptures," Sri1a Prabhupada explains, provides very easily), and he can go anywhere at a "describe two kinds of householders': grhasthas and moment's notice. Thus brahmacari life is simple and grhamedhrs. A grhastha is a married man who lives with carefree. wife and children, but transcendentally- to realize the Since a brahmaciirl can engage full time in cultivating Supreme Truth. GrltamedltTs, however, live only for Kr~Qa consciousness for his own spiritual advancement their families and friends; they are envious of others. and spreading it for the benefit of others, the brahma Please do not be a grhamedhT." Disregarding spiritual carls constitute New Dvaraka's main preaching force. culture, grhamedhis spend their days either making Most of the book distributors and members of the chant money or spending it, and their nights they spend sleep ing party are brahmacaris, like Ramesvara and Tripurari. ing or enjoying sex. They depend upon their families, New Dvaraka also has two groups of three brahmacarls friends, communities and nations, not realizing that who travel all around the United States in vans, distrib these are armies of fallible soldiers who cannot protect uting l<{~rya conscious books and teUing people about them from death. Thus the grhamedlris, in the final l<{~rya. They take great pleasure in traveling and preaching. issue, are failures, because they die without realizing The brahmacaris who are not out on the road live in the ultimate goal of life. the main temple building at New Dvaraka. (The un A Kr~rya conscious householder is a grhastlta who lives married girls live in similar quarters across the street, and for transcendental progress, not for envious competition married couples live in apartments in the neighborhood.) with others for artificial opulence. Most of New Dvaraka's Living and working together in Kr~rya consciousness, the married couples live in comfortable apartments in four brahmaciiris form a closely knit family of Godbroth ers. nearby buildings owned by the Society, but their lives "This is an ideal life for spiritual advancement," says revolve as much around the temple as around their Gopavrndapala dasa, the brahmacari who serves as New homes, for the center of their lives is l<{~rya. Since Dvaraka's temple coordinator, organizing the temple's marriage affords a less austere, physically more com daily routine work. "Some people may think brahmaciiri fortable existence than the life of a brahmaciiri, some life very austere and dry, but actually it is full of nectar." devotees find it easier to make Kr~rya conscious progress Gopavrndapala, twenty-three years old, was born in in marriage than in bralrmaciiri life. In return for the California. He lived in various yoga communes prior to pleasures of being a householder, a married man takes joining the Knrya consciousness movement. "Because of the responsibility for both the spiritual welfare and the powerful cleansing effect and the joy of the chant material comfort of his family. Thus New Dviirakii's ing," he says, "! was curious to learn more about the householders all work at paying jobs-some within the philosophy." Since he was unmarried and wanted to New Dviirakii community, others outside. Generally the join the temple, he became a brahrnaciirl at New men who work outside give half of their income to Dviiraka. "We do not give up anything through artificial supporting the temple's programs. repression," he notes. "But we get more enjoyment In Kr~rya consciousness, husband and wife assist each from serving l<{~rya than from material life. One can stay other in serving l<{~rya, and they raise children in blrakti a brahmaciiri if he likes, or one can marry. The main yoga. Susarmii dasi, a married girl at New Dvarakii, says, thing is to become l<{~rya conscious." "Our children, five years old and two years old, are automatically learning spiritual principles, and this is one big thing that drew us here. We were trying to do meditation and yoga, and it always had to be when the children were asleep. We vtru ~louseholder VLife i 'l couldn't include them in it. But even a child can chant Hare Kr~J:ta." "This is a practical spiritual community,'' comments VNew mvaral{a :l1N Umiipati dasa, a 36-year-old householder who has settled According to the strict rules of most genuine yoga in New Dvaraka with his wife, llavatl, and who works as systems, including ha.tha-yoga, jnii11a-yoga and siinkhya a computer programmer for New Dvaraka's Spiritual yoga, women are not allowed to participate, and men Sky Scented Products Company. "Regardless of one's oc must renounce all family ties. But bhakti-yoga, Kr~rya cupation or social position, anyone can engage in Kr~~a consciousness, is so powerful in its purification that its consciousness and achieve the highest perfection of life." 24 Back to Godhead Back to Godhead 25 Jayatirtha notes that although Spiritual Sky may ap pear just like any other enterprise, there are two funda mental differences. T he first is that the Company uses its profits only to spread the teachings of K.r~t:t a con sciousness, and the second is that the mentality of the ~Spiritual Slo'~ staff is transcendental, fo r it is fixed upon Kr~Qa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. "By the way you are managing this business," stated "We are practical spiritualists," says J ayatirtha. "Funds a letter from Sri1a Prabhupada to Jayatirtha dasa Adhi and organization are useful- even jet aircraft and kari, President of the Spiritual Sky Scented Products technology can be useful if employed properly. We do Company, "I can understand that you are completely not deny these things by artificially renouncing them; surrendering to Kr ~t:ta ." Spiritual Sky, whose headquarters we simply use them for advancing spiritual under are also a part of the Los Angeles Kr~t:ta conscious com standing." munity, is a commercial enterprise organized b y the Kr~ t:t a consciousness movement to gather funds for use in spreading Kr~t:ta consciousness. Spiritual Sky is growing quickly, having doubled its size each year for the past four years and l ooking to double it again in the coming year. The company ~ne Spiritual OMastef~ markets and manufactures incense, oils, shampoo, soap and other scented products. " It may seem contradictory or hard to understand that we are engaged in business dealings but still act on the spiritual platform," says Jayatirtha, the company's slender 24-year-old president. "But it's sim ply a matter of whose account you are working for. We are working fo r Kr~ t:t a. The revenue from this business is not accumulating in someone's bank account or b eing used to buy big, luxurious h ouses or something like that. Everyone works here as a volunteer, and their incidental expenses for living are provided. We aHlive simply, and it works nicely." "We're not bound up by any of this work," explains RaQadhira dasa, the company's marketing vice-president. "Kr~Qa assures us in Bhagavad-gt1a that anyone who surrenders the fruits of his labors to Him i s f ree f rom implication in materialistic life. That's the secret of K r ~ ·~a consciousness: work done fo r Kr~ t:ta's pleasure." He elaborates further: "Of course, that's not a whimsical principle. We are taking guidance from our spiritual master and scripture. You can't concoct a way for serving God and pleasing Him just by doing anything that confident about taking on so many pleases you and saying it pleases Him. On the other hand, The devotees are apparently worldly activities in New Dvaraka because aU the process isn't dry; since Kr~Qa is the Supreme and by a bona fide spiritual we're His parts and parcels, our pleasure is included in these activities are authorized master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Kr~Qa's pleasure." Prabhupada. One cannot take on any spiritual activity by one's whimsical concoction. One must receive guid 1. Jayatirtha diisa Adhikiiri, President of Spiritual Sky. 2. Spiri· ance from a bona fide spiritual master. tual Sky's computer prints out t he Hare K~Qa mantra while All the programs in New Dvaraka- from temple wor 3. Marketing Manager Rar;tadhlra not engaged doi ng inventory. ship, to book distribution, to the operation of Spiritual d~sa handles daily affairs of business and fi nance in transcen· dental K£1r;ta consciousness. 4. The computer center at Spiritual Sky- take place under Sri1a Prabhupada's sanction. The Sky. Everything can be used in Kr~r;ta 's service. 5. Devotees in essence of Kr~Qa consciousness is "always to remember Spiritual Sky's warehouse, who ship out almost 1 million sticks Kr~t:ta and never to forget Kr~•~a." The spiritual master of incense per month, set a perfect exam ple by thinking of engages his disciples in such a way that they may always Kr~r;ta wh ile engaged in their work . 6. Spiritual Sky is the largest ince nse manufacturer in the United States. All its profits be able to think of the Supreme Lord while engaged in go for the service of the Supreme l ord. their various duties. Back to Godhead 27 Srila Prabhupada counsels his devotees in his Los Angeles garden. of New Dvaraka have also made a walled garden for Srila Prabhupada that he has declared one of his favorite places in the world. Even when Srila Prabhupada is traveling in another part of the world, however, he is present in his instructions. He has told the devotees that if they always chant the Hare K{~~a mantra and serve Kr~~a sincerely through New Dvaraka's many programs, they will become com pletely purified and go back home, back to Godhead. ~Co~tcJusion ~ New Ovaraka, then, demonstrates the perfection of renunciation, for the devotees there see everything as Kr~Qa's energy and engage everything in His loving service. New Dvaraka is growing because its residents are following in the footsteps of the denizens of the original Dvaraka by serving Kr~~a in pure devotion. Of course, K{~~a's own celestial city is opulent beyond comparison. The Vedic scriptures state, for example, that the resi dents there enjoy eternal youth and beauty, like K r~~a Pholo Bali Mardan dasa Gosvami Himself, and that brilliant jewels illuminate its palace walls, making electricity unnecessary. New Dvaraka's Srila Prabhupada travels all over the world, preaching working facilities are on a scale more recognizable to in Nairobi, London, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo, Bombay, this world, but its real opulence- for which you will not Mexico City, and all over the United States, but he spends be able to find a match even if you travel all over the at least three mo nths a year in New Dvaraka, w here he is world- lies in transcendental knowledge of God. Even able to concentrate on translating the Vedic scriptures the children there realize that Kr~l)a is everything, the into English. cause of all causes, and He is their dearest friend, the In Los Angeles, Sri'la Prabhupada rises early and goes topic of their talk and play. on a morning walk in a nearby park or at Venice Beach The devotees in New Dvaraka have practical God con by the Pacific Ocean, all the while speaking to his scious knowledge because they know how to practice disciples about K{~~a conscious philosophy. Then be renunciation by doing everything in relation to Kr~~a. comes back to give the morning class to the devotees in Thus they are dedicated to expanding their activities the temple from an elevated seat called the vyiisasana. in the future in all ways- by distributing more books, ( Vyiisiisana literally means "the seat of Vyasa," Vyasa welcoming more families and brahrnacaris, increasing b eing the incarnation of K r~ ~ a who originally compi.lcd their success in business, and doing everything for Kr~~a's all the Vedic literature. A bona fide spiritual master pleasure. In return for their endeavors, they do not ask must follow in the footsteps of Vyasa, always glorifying anything of the Lord but that He be pleased to con K{~l)a according to the conclusions of the Vedic litera tinue engaging them in enthusiastic service to Srila ture.) From the vyiisiisana, Srila Prabhupada speaks about Prabhupada, His pure· devotee. Kr~~a has declared in the science of God, leads the devotees in chanting and Bhagavad-glta that devotees who work twenty-four hours worshiping the Deity, and, on behalf of Kr~!J a, accepts a day in His service arc very dear to Him and will surely the devotees' service, as a viceroy accepts honor on attain Him in His eternal spiritual world.In New Dvaraka behalf of a king. The spiritual master never considers -and almost one hundred ISKCON centers like it- the himself God or accepts service on his own behalf; he Kr~l)a consciousness movement is successfully demon only accepts service on behalf of the Supreme Lord. strating how to live constantly in the highest spiritual In the building next to t he tem ple arc Srila consciousness, Kr~~a consciousness, while at the same Prabhupada's quarters, where he composes his books on time executing one's daily duties as a student, business a dictaphone. Working at night, he has produced more man or householder. This is an ideal model the entire than a dozen important books in this way. The devotees world can follow. C) 28 Back to Godhead CJ'he GJVectar of'Devotioll The Complete Science of Bhakti-yoga His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada The Nectar of Devotion is a complete, step by-step handbook for attaining perfection in bhakti-yoga, the yoga of the highest love. Enriched by hundreds of factual personal examples, The Nectar of Devotion explains the practical techniques of bhakti-yoga, both basic and advanced. FROM THE PREFACE OF THE NECTAR OF DEVOTION: "No one can live without loving someone else. This propensity is present in every living being. Even an animal like a tiger has this loving propensity, and it is certainly present in human beings. Our love expands just as a vibration of light or air expands, but we do not know where it ends. Human society teaches one to love his country or family or his personal self, but there is no information of where to repose the loving propensity so that everyone can become happy. That missing point is KI:~Qa. The Nectar of Devotion teaches us the science of loving every Jiving entity perfectly by the easy method of loving Kr~l)a. If we learn how to love KJ:~!)a, then it is very easy to immediately and simultaneously love every living being." THE NECTAR OF DEVOTION: 400 pages, 10 full-color plates, hardbound: $7.95, paperback: $3.95. A 11ai/able from ISKCON Mail order, 3959 Landmark, Culver City, Calif 90230.(Use the convenient order card supplied in this magazine)